  2013 Honda Accord Sedan V6 Touring. Click image to enlarge |
Review and photos by Greg Wilson
Originally published January 8, 2013
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2013 Honda Accord Sedan V6 Touring
Last month, we drove the 2013 Honda Accord sedan Touring with the 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and new-for-2013 continuously variable transmission, remarking that it set a new standard for “understated redesign” but that it offered “an essential goodness and balance of efficiency and performance, space and content, and the old Honda driving magic.” In a separate comparison test, the same Accord sedan emerged as the clear winner against four other new mid-size four-cylinder sedans.
Now that we’ve got our hands on a V6-powered Accord sedan, we can confirm that it shares most of the four-banger’s positive qualities – the key difference, of course, is its smoother, quieter and more powerful 278-hp V6 engine mated to a standard six-speed automatic transmission (replacing last year’s five-speed auto) and its proportionately higher fuel consumption – although it’s not as much as you might expect. According to the EPA, the 2013 Accord V6 sedan consumes 11.2/6.9 L/100 km city/highway, an impressive 12.5 percent improvement over last year’s V6 – and that’s without a stop/start engine idle feature that many automakers are now using as a convenient tool to lower fuel consumption figures.
Our V6 test car’s fuel consumption display was showing an average of 9.0 L/100 km, very close to the EPA’s combined estimate, but considerably higher than NR Canada’s rather optimistic ratings of 9.7/5.7. Just for the record, the EPA rates the Accord four-cylinder with a CVT at 8.7/6.5. Both the four-cylinder and V6 Accords use regular grade gasoline.
Accord buyers looking for maximum fuel economy won’t have long to wait for the 2014 Accord Plug-in Hybrid that arrives early this year, followed in the summer by a regular hybrid sedan.
Unlike the four-cylinder Accord, the V6 sedan is not available with a manual transmission; realistically, not many V6 sedan buyers would order it anyway. A six-speed manual is available in the sporty V6 Coupe because that car appeals to buyers who put a higher priority on performance.
   2013 Honda Accord Sedan V6 Touring. Click image to enlarge |
Our test sedan was a top-of-the-line V6 Touring sedan model loaded with all the latest gadgets and luxury features. As is the trend nowadays, buyers don’t have to order the big engine to get all the toys –four-cylinder Accords are also available in the top Touring trim. That makes us wonder why the $35,290 Accord V6 Touring commands a hefty $3,700 premium over the Accord I4 CVT Touring model when the only difference is the powertrain. I guess that’s the price you pay for an extra 107 horsepower.
As we reported earlier, the new Accord is slightly smaller on the outside than the previous model but offers more rear legroom and slightly more headroom and shoulder room despite a significant 79 L (2.8 cu. ft.) reduction in passenger cabin volume. We’re not really sure how this is possible – perhaps Houdini was consulted – but the cabin does seem roomier and there is a generous amount of rear legroom and adequate headroom and hiproom. Still, the Accord’s published interior passenger volume of 2,922 L (103.2 cu. ft.) is less than many of its major mid-size competitors.
